Huskers Aim for Road Upset at No. 17 Maryland

The Nebraska women’s basketball team works to get back on the winning track when the Huskers shoot for an upset at No. 17/15 Maryland on Thursday night.

Tip-off between Nebraska (16-8, 7-6 Big Ten) and the Terrapins (19-5, 9-4 Big Ten) at the Xfinity Center is set for 5:30 p.m. (CT).

Live television coverage will be provided by the Big Ten Network with Ed Cohen and Christy Winters Scott on the call.

Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln, Huskers.com and the Huskers App. Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will be on the radio call with pregame beginning at 5 p.m. (CT).

Nebraska is hungry to snap a three-game losing streak after dropping an 81-66 decision to Iowa in Lincoln on Monday. Alberte Rimdal led the Huskers with a season-high 20 points off the bench, but the Hawkeyes earned a split of the two-game season series with Nebraska behind 32 points from Lucy Olsen. Iowa knocked down 12-of-24 three-pointers against the Huskers including four from Olsen and five from Taylor McCabe.

Lisa Leslie Award finalist Alexis Markowski added 15 points to continue her solid play for the Big Red. The three-time All-Big Ten center averages team bests of 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Huskers. The 6-3 senior ranks second in career points (1,711), rebounds (1,138) and double-doubles (48) among the national center-of-the-year finalists, trailing only Kansas State's seventh-year center Ayoka Lee.

Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year candidate Britt Prince has been a leader for the Big Red in conference play. The 5-11 point guard from Omaha, who was the USBWA National Freshman-of-the-Week (Jan. 21) after her performance in a win over Iowa (Jan. 16), has been a consistent force along with Markowski for the Big Red.

Prince ranks fifth among Big Ten freshmen in scoring overall on the season with 13.1 points, while adding 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals on the year.

Maryland will try to stretch its winning streak to three games against the Huskers after a successful 2-0 West Coast road trip to Oregon (Feb. 6) and Washington (Feb. 9).

Terrapin junior guard Kaylene Smikle was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 28.5 points and 8.5 rebounds on the trip, including 36 points in Sunday's win over Washington.

Nebraska Cornhuskers 
at 17/15 Maryland Terrapins
Thursday, February 13, 2025, 5:30 p.m. (CT)
Xfinity Center - College Park, Maryland
Special Event: Play4Kay (Pink Game)
Live TV: BTN (Ed Cohen, Christy Winters Scott)
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (5 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Huskers.com, Huskers App
Live Stats: Huskers.com 

 

Nebraska Cornhuskers (16-8, 7-6 Big Ten)
12    Jessica Petrie    6-2    So.    F    5.8    3.9
40    Alexis Markowski    6-3    Sr.    C/F    14.8    7.6
2    Logan Nissley    6-0    So.    G    6.8    2.3
14    Callin Hake    5-8    Jr.    G    6.5    3.0
23    Britt Prince    5-11    Fr.    G    13.1    4.5
Off the Bench
5    Alberte Rimdal    5-9    Sr.    G    6.8    1.5
44    Petra Bozan    6-3    Fr.    F/C    5.6    3.2
33    Amiah Hargrove    6-2    Fr.    F    4.7    3.5
15    Kendall Moriarty    6-1    Sr.    G    3.8    1.7
32    Kendall Coley    6-2    Gr.    F/G    2.0    1.2
22    Natalie Potts [Out]    6-2    So.    F    14.4    7.4
3    Allison Weidner [Out]    5-10    RJr.    G    3.8    3.0
4    Kennadi Williams    5-4    Fr.    G    Redshirt
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Ninth Season at Nebraska (153-119); 18th Season Overall (346-228)

 

17/15 Maryland Terrapins (19-5, 9-4 Big Ten)
14    Allie Kubek    6-2    Gr.    F    8.9    4.2
0    Shyanne Sellers    6-2    Sr.    G    13.4    3.9
1    Sarah Te-Biasu    5-5    Gr.    G    8.4    1.6
2    Kaylene Smikle    6-0    Jr.    G    18.3    4.3
6    Saylor Poffenbarger    6-2    RJr.    G    9.9    8.3
Off the Bench
42    Amari DeBerry    6-6    Sr.    G    13.7    4.9
15    Christina Dalce    6-2    Sr.    F    8.5    8.0
10    Mir McLean    5-11    Gr.    G/F    3.8    4.3
3    Emily Fisher    6-0    So.    G/F    1.8    1.4
5    Ava McKennie    6-2    Fr.    G/F    1.4    1.2
24    Bri McDaniel [Out]    5-10    Fr.    G    10.6    2.1
Head Coach: Brenda Frese (Arizona, 1993)
23rd Season at Maryland (601-166); 26th Season Overall (658-196)

Husker Hot Takes

• Nebraska owns NET Top 50 wins over No. 20 Michigan State, at No. 29 Iowa and No. 31 Minnesota along with top-100 wins over No. 77 Penn State and No. 84 Southeastern Louisiana.

• All eight of Nebraska's losses this season have come to NET Top 40 teams, including five true road games - at No. 5 UCLA, at No. 6 USC, at No. 25 Georgia Tech, at No. 33 Creighton and at No. 39 Indiana - along with home losses to No. 15 Ohio State, No. 27 Michigan and No. 29 Iowa.

• Lisa Leslie Award candidate Alexis Markowski has averaged 16.6 points on 50 percent shooting over the last 10 games. Markowski has produced double digits in nine of the 10 games, including a career-high 28 points in NU's 85-80 win over No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 8). The only game she was held to single digits came with eight points at Indiana (Feb. 2), when she was battling illness and played just 18 minutes. Markowski owns a school-record 48 double-doubles, which is tied for fourth among active NCAA Division I players. Her most recent double-double came with 21 points and 11 rebounds against Michigan (Feb. 6).

• Britt Prince is averaging 2.6 steals per game over the last seven games including a career-high six steals in the win at Iowa (Jan. 16). Prince has moved into the top 10 in the Big Ten in steals with 1.9 steals per game on the season.

• In nine games away from Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, Husker freshman Britt Prince is averaging 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals. All five of her 20-point performances have come on the road, while two of her three career-high eight-rebound efforts have been away from PBA.

• Sophomore power forward Jessica Petrie has stepped up her play in place of injured 2024 Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts. Over the past seven games, Petrie has averaged 8.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists while hitting 25-of-46 shots (.543) from the field, including 7-of-17 three-point attempts (.412). Potts, who was lost to a knee injury in the fifth game of the season, was Nebraska's leading scorer (14.4 ppg) and rebounder (7.4 rpg) at the time of her injury.

Huskers Dedicate Season to Injured Teammates

• The Huskers have dedicated their performances the rest of this season to injured teammates Allison Weidner and Natalie Potts, who suffered season-ending knee injuries.

• Nebraska's five-game winning streak (Jan. 5-20) was made more significant after fourth-year guard Allison Weidner suffered a season-ending right leg injury in practice on Jan. 11. It was Weidner's third season-ending injury. Weidner, a 5-10 guard from Humphrey, Neb., was coming off her best game of the season with 11 points and six assists in Nebraska's 85-80 win over No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 8), which followed a win over Penn State (Jan. 5). Despite the injury occurring just hours before the Huskers traveled to Rutgers, the Big Red responded with its first win in Piscataway since 2018. The Huskers followed up with their first win in Iowa City since 2018 and a 31-point home win over Wisconsin (Jan. 20).

• Sophomore Jessica Petrie has provided the most production in place of Natalie Potts, starting 14 games since the injury to the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, which occurred in the second quarter against North Alabama (Nov. 19). Petrie ranks third on the team in Big Ten scoring (7.2 ppg) and rebounding (4.5 rpg).

• Freshmen Amiah Hargrove and Petra Bozan also have stepped up to honor Potts. Hargrove has scored in double figures six times since the injury to Potts, including her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the win at Iowa, and 11 points at Indiana (Feb. 2).

• Bozan has played a major role in support behind Markowski at center while adding flexibility. The 6-5 center is averaging 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in conference play, including Big Ten double-figure scoring efforts at Indiana (12) and in a win over Wisconsin (10). She also provided significant contributions in Big Ten wins over Minnesota (9 points, 5 rebounds), Penn State (8 points, 6 rebounds) and Rutgers (8 points, 4 rebounds).

Husker Numbers to Watch
• Markowski (1,138) passed Emily Cady (1,114, 2012-15) at No. 2 on Nebraska's all-time rebounding list with six rebounds against Ohio State (Jan. 26). Janet Smith (1,280, 1979-82) owns the top spot on NU’s career rebound chart.

• Alexis Markowski (48) owns the top spot on Nebraska’s career double-doubles list, eight more than first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (40, 2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (40, 2011-14).

• Markowski (1,719) ranks No. 11 on Nebraska’s all-time scoring list. She needs 59 points to match Kathy Hagerstrom (1980-83) at No. 10 on the NU all-time scoring list with 1,778 points.

• Kendall Moriarty (100) played in her 100th consecutive game on Monday against Iowa.

• Kendall Coley (129) moved into the top 10 in career games played at Nebraska on Monday against Iowa. She is expected to play in her 130th game on Thursday at Maryland, which will move her into a tie for eighth on the Husker all-time list with Cory Montgomery and Kathy Hagerstrom.

• Amy Williams (249) will reach 250 career NCAA Division I wins with her next victory.

• Britt Prince (301 / 103) owns 301 points and 103 rebounds as a true freshman point guard for the Huskers. Nebraska's WNBA first-round draft picks Lindsey Moore and Nicole Kubik did not achieve either 300 points or 100 rebounds as true freshmen starting point guards at Nebraska.

Scouting the No. 17 Maryland Terrapins
• Coach Brenda Frese brings No. 17 Maryland to Lincoln following a pair of West Coast road wins at Oregon (79-61, Feb. 6) and Washington (81-73, Feb. 9). The Terrapins enter the week 19-5 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten.

• Prior to Maryland's West Coast wins, the Terps had lost four of five games with their lone win coming at Penn State (Jan. 29). Maryland opened the season with 14 straight wins, but is 5-5 over the last 10 contests.

• Shyanne Sellers continues to star for the Terps, averaging 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and a team-best 4.4 assists. The 6-2 senior has been slowed recently by a leg injury, but she had 15 points, five assists and four rebounds in the win at Washington.

• Former Rutgers star Kaylene Smikle leads Maryland with 18.3 points per game. The 6-0 junior erupted for 36 points on 13-of-18 shooting in the win at Washington. She averaged 28.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the West Coast wins, including 21 points against Oregon. Smikle ranks second among the Terps with 34 threes (.391) on the season.

• Saylor Poffenbarger has been the leader on the glass for the Terps with 8.3 rebounds, while adding 9.9 points per game. The 6-2 redshirt junior notched a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds at Oregon. Poffenbarger (32) is one of three Terps with 30 made threes on the year.

• Serah Te-Biasu has added 8.4 points per game while leading the Terps from long range with 38 three-pointers on 40.4 percent shooting. The 5-5 graduate guard erupted for 26 points on 5-of-7 three-point shooting at Oregon.

• Fellow graduate student Allie Kubek rounds out Maryland's probable starting five with 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

• Maryland was dealt a blow with a season-ending injury to junior guard Bri McDaniel, who was averaging 10.6 points through 17 games.

• Senior Christina Dalce has been a consistent force for the Terps, averaging 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field. Dalce has been a regular starter but came off the bench in both wins on the West Coast.

• Mir McLean, a 5-11 graduate, has come off the bench for all 24 games and is averaging 3.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

• As a team, Maryland is shooting 46.9 percent from the field, including 34.5 percent from three-point range, while hitting 75.3 percent of its free throws. The Terps own a plus-10.2 rebound margin, including plus-5.7 in Big Ten play. Maryland carries a minus-1.2 team turnover margin in league play.

Nebraska vs. Maryland Series History
• Maryland leads the all-time series with Nebraska 16-3, but the Huskers have won three of the last four meetings, including a 78-68 victory over the Terps in the Big Ten semifinals in Minneapolis (March 9, 2024). Nebraska also got its first win over the Terrapins in Lincoln last season, with an 87-81 victory on Dec. 31, 2023.

• Alexis Markowski had 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Huskers over Maryland in Lincoln last season, while Natalie Potts added a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Jaz Shelley gave three Huskers double-doubles with 13 points and 11 assists. In Minneapolis, Shelley erupted for 30 points on six three-pointers.

• In their last trip to College Park, Nebraska rolled to a 90-67 victory at the Xfinity Center, outscoring the Terps 59-31 in the second half.

• Maryland was ranked in the AP Top 20 in each of the first 17 meetings, but was unranked in both games last year.

• Nebraska’s first meeting with Maryland came in the 2008 NCAA Tournament second round in College Park - a 76-64 Maryland win.

Markowski In NU's 1,700-Point/1,100-Rebound Club

• Alexis Markowski has increased her career totals to 1,719 points and 1,138 rebounds. She is just the second Nebraska player to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,700 points and 1,100 rebounds, joining All-American and 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year Jordan Hooper.

• Jordan Hooper (2,357 points/1,110 rebounds, 2011-14) was a first-team All-American, the 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year and the first pick of the second round in the 2014 WNBA Draft.

• The only other players in Husker history with 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds are Karen Jennings (2,405 points/1,000 rebounds, 1990-93) and Kelsey Griffin (2,033 points/1,019 rebounds, 2006-10).

• Jennings won the 1993 Wade Trophy, was a first-team All-American and the 1993 Big Eight Player of the Year. Griffin won the 2010 Senior CLASS Award, was a first-round WNBA Draft pick, a first-team All-American and the 2010 Big 12 Player of the Year.

Markowski Joins Elite Rebounders in NU History

• Nebraska All-America candidate Alexis Markowski joined one of the most elite groups in Husker history by pulling down her 1,000th career rebound in the fourth quarter at Creighton (Nov. 22).

• The 6-3 center from Lincoln became just the sixth Husker women’s basketball player and just the eighth Nebraska men’s or women’s player to reach the 1,000 milestone on the boards.

• Markowski finished the game with 1,001 career boards to push past 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings into the No. 5 spot on the Husker women’s basketball career chart.

• Markowski has pushed her career rebound total to 1,138, passing Emily Cady (1,114) at No. 2 on the Nebraska all-time list against No. 12 Ohio State (Jan. 26). Markowski moved past first-team All-American Jordan Hooper (1,110) at No. 3 on NU’s career rebound list with seven rebounds against Wisconsin (Jan. 20). Cady grabbed her 1,114 rebounds 4,217 career minutes (10.6 rp40), while Markowski’s 1,138 boards came in just 3,229 minutes (14.1 rp40).

Prince Battling for Big Ten All-Freshman Honors

• Britt Prince is in the midst of one of the best freshman seasons in history by a Husker in 2024-25. The 5-11 point guard from Omaha ranks second among the Huskers with 13.1 points, while adding 4.5 rebounds and team bests with 3.0 assists and 1.9 steals, including a game-high 23 points at Purdue (Jan. 30).

• Prince was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 21) after going for 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a career-high six steals at Iowa (Jan. 16). She also hit a career-high five three-pointers while playing a career-high 41 minutes against the Hawkeyes.

• The national award followed her first Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honor (Jan. 20), which she shared with Ohio State freshman Jaloni Cambridge.

• Prince ranks fifth among Big Ten freshmen in scoring (13.1 ppg). The four conference freshmen in front of her rank among the top 10 freshmen scorers in the nation.

• Prince, a two-time Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year has scored in double figures 17 times, including a career-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting in a Big Ten road win at Rutgers (Jan. 12). She added six rebounds and three assists against the Scarlet Knights. Prince scored 10 points in the decisive fourth quarter.

• Her performance at Rutgers surpassed her previous career-high 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Nebraska’s record-setting 113-70 win over South Dakota (Nov. 16). She added four assists and two steals in front of a sellout crowd at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.

• She added 20 points and six rebounds at Creighton (Nov. 22).

• Prince had a game-high 19 points to go with five rebounds in a low-scoring win over Tarleton State (Dec. 11). She hit three threes against the Texans and went 6-for-6 at the line.

• Prince contributed 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting in a win over Kansas City (Nov. 26), before notching her fifth straight double-digit performance with a game-high 14 points in a win over Lindenwood (Dec. 3). She also had 13 points and a career-high six assists against North Alabama (Nov. 19) during the five-game stretch. Prince added a career-high two blocks against the Lions.

• Prince had 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in NU's win over No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 8). It was her third straight double-digit effort, joining 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in a win over Penn State (Jan. 5) and 10 points, a career-high-tying eight rebounds and four assists at No. 4 USC (Jan. 1).

• She became the first Husker freshman point guard to reach 100 points in her first eight games, when she put up seven points and seven boards in a win over Minnesota (Dec. 8). The only other Husker point guard to score 100 points in 10 or fewer games is Nicole Kubik (10 games, 1996-97).

• One of NU’s most efficient players, Prince is shooting 44 percent from the field, including 34.1 percent (29-85) from three-point range, and 85.7 percent (60-70) at the free throw line.

• Prince, who won four consecutive Nebraska Class B state high school championships at PBA while playing for her mother, Ann Prince at Elkhorn North (2021-22-23-24), was the No. 16 recruit in the country according to Prospects Nation and No. 28 according to ESPN.

• An honorable-mention high school All-American last year by the Naismith award and MaxPreps, Prince produced one of the best senior seasons in Nebraska high school history in 2023-24. She averaged 27.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.9 steals. She led the state in both scoring and assists as a senior on her way to finishing with a Class B record 2,491 points, surpassing Husker All-American Jordan Hooper’s previous mark of 2,078.

• Prince also matched Hooper for No. 2 in state tournament history with 271 career points.

• In addition to being a four-time Super-State selection in basketball, Prince was a six-time gold medalist and two-time silver medalist at the Nebraska State Track & Field Championships.

• She was the 2024 Nebraska Girls Athlete of the Year across all sports.

• Prince missed Nebraska’s win over Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 9) with a lower leg injury, but returned for six points, four assists and three steals as a starter in a win over Southern (Nov. 12).

Husker Freshmen Featuring Efficiency
• Britt Prince is the leader of a talented freshman trio for Nebraska. While Prince has earned headlines by starting at point guard and putting up some of the best numbers in history by a Big Red rookie, fellow freshmen Amiah Hargrove and Petra Bozan have been dynamic inside.

• Hargrove produced her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in a career-high 28 minutes in an overtime win at Iowa (Jan. 16). She hit 3-of-4 shots including 2-of-3 threes and both free throws against the Hawkeyes while adding a career-high two blocks.

• She added her sixth double-figure scoring effort of the season with 11 points at Indiana (Feb. 2).

• Hargrove erupted for a career-high 13 points in a win over Tarleton State (Dec. 11). She hit 5-of-6 shots, including a three-pointer, while adding three rebounds and a steal. She also led Nebraska with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting at No. 1 UCLA (Dec. 29). She also had 10 points and eight rebounds in a Big Ten-opening win over previously unbeaten Minnesota (Dec. 8).

• The 6-1 forward from Christopher, Ill., added 10 points and seven rebounds in a win over Kansas City (Nov. 26). She made back-to-back starts against Chattanooga (Dec. 15) and No. 17 Georgia Tech (Dec. 21). Hargrove also played a major role in NU's win over No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 8) with seven points and six rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench.

• On the season, Hargrove has produced per 40 minute averages of 13.8 points and 10.3 rebounds while hitting 48.1 percent of her shots from the field, including 48 percent of her threes (12-25).

• Bozan, a 6-5 center from Croatia, owns five-double digit scoring efforts, after tying her career high with 12 points - all in the fourth quarter - at Indiana (Feb. 2). It matched her 12 points in an opening-day win over Omaha (Nov. 4). She also had 11 against Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 9). She went a combined 9-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-4 from three-point range in those two games. Bozan added 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in a win over Lindenwood (Dec. 3), before getting her first double-digit effort in Big Ten play with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting in a win over Wisconsin (Jan. 20). She also had nine points and five rebounds in her Big Ten debut against Minnesota (Dec. 8). She added seven points at UCLA (Dec. 29), as the Husker freshmen provided three of NU's top four scorers against the top-ranked Bruins. Bozan pitched in eight points and six rebounds in just 11 minutes to help the Huskers push past Penn State (Jan. 5). She added another big effort with eight points and four boards in 12 minutes off the bench in Nebraska's Big Ten road win at Rutgers (Jan. 12).

• On the season, Bozan has produced per 40 minute averages of 19.8 points and 11.4 rebounds while hitting 48.6 percent of her shots from the field, including 38.1 percent (8-21) of her threes.

Big Red Spreads Scoring

• Nebraska has put at least five players in double figures in six of its 24 games this season, including back-to-back Big Ten wins at Iowa (87-84 OT, Jan. 16) and over Wisconsin (91-60, Jan. 20). In three other games, NU has put four players in double figures with the fifth-highest scorer adding nine points.

• Perhaps the most amazing part of the double-figure scoring performances for the Big Red through 24 games is that all six games have featured a different group of scorers that have ultimately included all 12 players on the active roster at the start of the season.

• In the win over Wisconsin (Jan. 20), five Huskers put up double figures, including Kendall Moriarty-17, Jessica Petrie-15, Britt Prince-14, Alexis Markowski-12 and Petra Bozan-10.

• In the win at Iowa (Jan. 16), five Huskers put up double figures, including Britt Prince-22, Alexis Markowski-19, Logan Nissley-13, Jessica Petrie-13 and Amiah Hargrove-10.

• In the opener with Omaha (Nov. 4), six Huskers produced double-digit points, including Alexis Markowski-14, Natalie Potts-14, Petra Bozan-12, Logan Nissley-12, Allison Weidner-11 and Britt Prince-10.

• In a win over South Dakota in Sioux Falls (Nov. 16), five Huskers finished in double figures, including Britt Prince-23, Natalie Potts-22, Alexis Markowski-14, Kendall Moriarty-13 and Kendall Coley-12.

• In a victory over North Alabama (Nov. 19), five Huskers scored in double figures, including Callin Hake-17, Jessica Petrie-14, Britt Prince-13, Alberte Rimdal-13 and Alexis Markowski-10.

• Nebraska put five players in double figures in its second straight home game in a win over Kansas City (Nov. 22), including Callin Hake-16, Alberte Rimdal-15, Britt Prince-13, Alexis Markowski-10 and Amiah Hargrove-10.

• The only Huskers to score in double figures in each of the six games with at least five players in double figures were Alexis Markowski and Britt Prince.